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#Juvenile Law.

Guide to Youth Law

Juvenile Law addresses laws, rules, regulations and the like, with regard to individuals under the age of majority, which is generally considered 18 years of age, although in some instances, this is 21 years of age. In addition to juvenile crime, juvenile delinquents, and juvenile court, this area of law also often deals with foster care and adoption; child support, custody and visitation; parental rights; treatment and care for disabled and mentally ill minors, child neglect and abuse, and other related issues.

Juvenile law is also concerned with child labor laws, under-age drinking and smoking, teen pregnancy, abortion laws for minors, marital consent, school attendance, legal name change, sexual abuse and statutory rape, and emancipation of a minor. It also sets individual state limits for parental liability. This helps to determine how responsible a parent or guardian is for damage caused by a minor due to criminal or negligent behavior by the juvenile. In most states the parent is obligated to pay for willful or malicious property damage and/or personal injury caused by their child.

The use of a next friend or guardian ad litem is often necessary in juvenile law. A next friend is necessary when a minor wishes to bring a court action; this can be a parent or guardian, or other responsible adult. A guardian ad litem is appointed by a court in a legal proceeding directly affecting a minor to protect and manage the child�s best interest. In many states, a guardian ad litem may also be used in child custody cases, even though the child is not an actual party to the case. The guardian can be a parent, relative or a, lawyer, but when it is not a lawyer, the child is often represented by both the guardian and an attorney.

Juvenile law is often handled with specialized courts of law called juvenile courts. Although they deal primarily with juvenile crime law . these courts also hear cases regarding abused, abandoned or neglected children. These are called juvenile dependency cases and may result in the child being removed from the home where they are being mistreated.

For additional information regarding laws regulating juvenile justice and crimes, visit our Juvenile Crime Law page.

For additional information regarding laws regulating children's rights, visit our Children�s Rights page.